Comments for KG6VDW Ham Radio Reviews http://www.jon-moody.com/blog Sharing my various Ham Radio experiences with the world Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:10:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger by Kickem http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-151 Kickem Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:13:21 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-151 Have you any new news on the charger. Does it have a USB mother connector besides the charger (it should but I cannot find proof)? Is there any way you could measure the output of the USB, in Volts and Amps, at least volts while it's charging a phone... I have bought a couple of solar USB chargers and they deliver under 5V and my SE Vivaz will not charge so I am really cautious now. Any info would be great. Thank you. Have you any new news on the charger. Does it have a USB mother connector besides the charger (it should but I cannot find proof)? Is there any way you could measure the output of the USB, in Volts and Amps, at least volts while it’s charging a phone… I have bought a couple of solar USB chargers and they deliver under 5V and my SE Vivaz will not charge so I am really cautious now.

Any info would be great. Thank you.

]]> Comment on Pulsetech Xtreme Charger by admin http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=44#comment-25 admin Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:29:12 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=44#comment-25 I have been using the PulseTech charger now on a rotating basis for three of my AGM batteries for about a month now. One 79ah AGM battery purchased from West Mountain as my main station backup battery. One 18ah AGM battery as a spare backup that I purchased from Chargingchargers at http://www.chargingchargers.com/ and a 7ah spare AGM battery that I apparently bought from Radio Shack some time ago. Here is the procedure that I am using : 1) Fully charge each of the batteries over night. 2) Rotate the Pulse Charger among the 18ah and 7ah batteris every 24 hours. The charger spends a total of 24 hours on each battery and 24 hours off. 3) The 79ah battery is hooked up to a West Mountain Super PWRGate PG40S charger powered by a MFJ 4225MV power Supply that I have adjusted Internally to provide 15 volts according to my DVM. I have also made the suggested adjustment to the jumper inside the PWRGate to enable it to provide 14.44 volts for charging AGM batteries. The 79ah battery is connected to the PWRGate for seven days 24 hours a day. I then hook the 79ah battery to the PulseTech charger for 24 hours once a week after disconnecting the PWRGate repeating the process every week. So far I have not seen any degration in the batteries but I need to perform some real life tests with all three batteries and will be doing so shortly. I will do a baseline for each battery powering my K3/10, FT-897 and then do the same test periodically every two months. My methodology will be as follows : 1) Disconnect the batteries for 4 hours from all chargers and all loads. 2) Measure the no load voltage after the 4 hours hopefully will be around 12.7 volts or so. 3) Attach the standard load and measure the voltage and how long each voltage measurement is maintained until the 80% discharge voltage is achieved which I believe is 11.58 volts approximately according to this web site http://www.solar-electric.com/deep_cycle_batteries/deep_cycle_battery_faq.htm#Cycles vs Life. I will be using a DVM connected to a computer over a USB port in order to obtain the Data. Stay Tuned.... More to come.... I have been using the PulseTech charger now on a rotating basis for three of my AGM batteries for about a month now. One 79ah AGM battery purchased from West Mountain as my main station backup battery. One 18ah AGM battery as a spare backup that I purchased from Chargingchargers at http://www.chargingchargers.com/ and a 7ah spare AGM battery that I apparently bought from Radio Shack some time ago.

Here is the procedure that I am using :

1) Fully charge each of the batteries over night.
2) Rotate the Pulse Charger among the 18ah and 7ah batteris every 24 hours. The charger spends a total of 24 hours on each battery and 24 hours off.
3) The 79ah battery is hooked up to a West Mountain Super PWRGate PG40S charger powered by a MFJ 4225MV power Supply that I have adjusted Internally to provide 15 volts according to my DVM. I have also made the suggested adjustment to the jumper inside the PWRGate to enable it to provide 14.44 volts for charging AGM batteries. The 79ah battery is connected to the PWRGate for seven days 24 hours a day. I then hook the 79ah battery to the PulseTech charger for 24 hours once a week after disconnecting the PWRGate repeating the process every week.

So far I have not seen any degration in the batteries but I need to perform some real life tests with all three batteries and will be doing so shortly. I will do a baseline for each battery powering my K3/10, FT-897 and then do the same test periodically every two months. My methodology will be as follows :

1) Disconnect the batteries for 4 hours from all chargers and all loads.
2) Measure the no load voltage after the 4 hours hopefully will be around 12.7 volts or so.
3) Attach the standard load and measure the voltage and how long each voltage measurement is maintained until the 80% discharge voltage is achieved which I believe is 11.58 volts approximately according to this web site http://www.solar-electric.com/deep_cycle_batteries/deep_cycle_battery_faq.htm#Cycles vs Life. I will be using a DVM connected to a computer over a USB port in order to obtain the Data.

Stay Tuned…. More to come….

]]> Comment on PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger by admin http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-24 admin Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:50:09 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-24 Here is an update. I have been using NIMH AA cells in my cordless mice (logitech Anywhere MX). I charged the batteries with a LENMAR PRO541 charger and then started using them in one of my mice. These lasted for 13 days before the light on top began turning red indicating that the voltage was less than optimal. But I am still able to use it and will continue using it until it no longer works. I will then charge the batteries in the PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger and compare the run times and report back. I will probably need to do this at least 10 times to get the optimum results. This may not be the best application for NIMH batteries due to the short shelf life of this battery chemistry. So my next set of tests for solar power I want to do with some type of Lithium technology. I have been trying to purchase the RA-5 for this testing but no one seems to have it in stock. I have purchased the RA-4 and will be reporting my findings on that and will be comparing it with the USB+AA charger. By the way the batteries that I am using are DURACELL rechargeable 2650mah NiMh. Your mileage may vary using other brands. Here is an update. I have been using NIMH AA cells in my cordless mice (logitech Anywhere MX). I charged the batteries with a LENMAR PRO541 charger and then started using them in one of my mice. These lasted for 13 days before the light on top began turning red indicating that the voltage was less than optimal. But I am still able to use it and will continue using it until it no longer works. I will then charge the batteries in the PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger and compare the run times and report back. I will probably need to do this at least 10 times to get the optimum results. This may not be the best application for NIMH batteries due to the short shelf life of this battery chemistry. So my next set of tests for solar power I want to do with some type of Lithium technology. I have been trying to purchase the RA-5 for this testing but no one seems to have it in stock. I have purchased the RA-4 and will be reporting my findings on that and will be comparing it with the USB+AA charger. By the way the batteries that I am using are DURACELL rechargeable 2650mah NiMh. Your mileage may vary using other brands.

]]> Comment on Power SDR for the SDR IQ Radio by admin http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=27#comment-23 admin Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:38:11 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=27#comment-23 Hi Joe, No I haven't. Too many other things on my plate right now but I did download the source code and set up an environment that allows me to compile the code. So when I get some free time will be looking into it. What is your interested in this ? Did you want to contribute to the coding effort ? If you are just interested in some software to use I have heard a lot of good things about winrad software here... http://www.winrad.org/ although I haven't tried it myself. There are also several Yahoo groups dedicated to SDRIQ and Power SDR if you are interested. You can just go into Yahoo and search for either term. Hi Joe,

No I haven’t. Too many other things on my plate right now but I did download the source code and set up an environment that allows me to compile the code. So when I get some free time will be looking into it. What is your interested in this ? Did you want to contribute to the coding effort ? If you are just interested in some software to use I have heard a lot of good things about winrad software here… http://www.winrad.org/ although I haven’t tried it myself. There are also several Yahoo groups dedicated to SDRIQ and Power SDR if you are interested. You can just go into Yahoo and search for either term.

]]> Comment on Power SDR for the SDR IQ Radio by BlackberryJoe http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=27#comment-22 BlackberryJoe Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:15:10 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=27#comment-22 Have you gotten anywhere with using PowerSDR with the SDR-IQ receiver? Joe Have you gotten anywhere with using PowerSDR with the SDR-IQ receiver?

Joe

]]> Comment on PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger by admin http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-20 admin Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:59:19 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-20 Nice to meet you Pat. I saw your products at the 2010 CES Show and was very impressed. So far I really like what I have seen with the USB+AA Solar Charger. It is simple and works as advertised. I have also ordered the PowerFilm® F15-3600. So stay tuned for my review on that as well. I am really looking forward to testing it as well as integrating it into my power systems. Nice to meet you Pat. I saw your products at the 2010 CES Show and was very impressed. So far I really like what I have seen with the USB+AA Solar Charger. It is simple and works as advertised. I have also ordered the PowerFilm® F15-3600. So stay tuned for my review on that as well. I am really looking forward to testing it as well as integrating it into my power systems.

]]> Comment on PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger by n0hr http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-19 n0hr Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:17:44 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=39#comment-19 Jon, Glad to see that you're giving the PowerFilm charger a try. PowerFilm is based in Ames, Iowa. I'm Pat N0HR, the VP of Quality & Process Improvement at PowerFilm. Our VP of Engineering is also a ham. I'm sure that many hams have use for solar power in ham radio - charging small batteries and large. Backpackers especially love our products for small hiking ham radio adventures. Anyway, let me know if you have any questions or issues. 73 Pat N0HR PowerFilm: http://www.powerfilmsolar.com N0HR: http://www.n0hr.com Jon,

Glad to see that you’re giving the PowerFilm charger a try.

PowerFilm is based in Ames, Iowa. I’m Pat N0HR, the VP of Quality & Process Improvement at PowerFilm. Our VP of Engineering is also a ham.

I’m sure that many hams have use for solar power in ham radio - charging small batteries and large. Backpackers especially love our products for small hiking ham radio adventures.

Anyway, let me know if you have any questions or issues.

73
Pat N0HR
PowerFilm: http://www.powerfilmsolar.com
N0HR: http://www.n0hr.com

]]> Comment on RfSpace SDRIQ by software defined radio - StartTags.com http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=12#comment-17 software defined radio - StartTags.com Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:44:59 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=12#comment-17 [...] radio systems design. It was developed and continuously being developed by Roger Coud© (VE2DBE)RfSpace SDRIQ | KG6VDW Ham Radio ReviewsI have been wanting get a software defined radio for some time. ... With a Software Defined Radio I [...] [...] radio systems design. It was developed and continuously being developed by Roger Coud© (VE2DBE)RfSpace SDRIQ | KG6VDW Ham Radio ReviewsI have been wanting get a software defined radio for some time. … With a Software Defined Radio I [...]

]]> Comment on Cheap and portable Emergency Antenna Tower by unixguy http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=30#comment-13 unixguy Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:02:22 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=30#comment-13 Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your antenna improvements! Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your antenna improvements!

]]> Comment on The PogoPlug by yaesu ham radio http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=34#comment-12 yaesu ham radio Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:46:22 +0000 http://www.jon-moody.com/blog/?p=34#comment-12 <strong>yaesu ham radio...</strong> It is very important to have a good quality external power meter. I prepared a chart of my settings and now when I change bands I turn the bandswitch, preset the Tune and Load controls and I\'m ready to transmit. Then I just glance at my grid current... yaesu ham radio…

It is very important to have a good quality external power meter. I prepared a chart of my settings and now when I change bands I turn the bandswitch, preset the Tune and Load controls and I\’m ready to transmit. Then I just glance at my grid current…

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